Chapter 36

The plan was put into motion.

Suiryu worked with D'angelo to create a buzz about the band, they made 30 second commercials with them playing, everyone being highlighted and yet for Suiryu, his promo video was merely his silhouette that barely revealed the outline of his body. Only to go dark and a sinister laughed follows.

They did music videos, as more people grew interested. Within a month's time they dropped one video a week. Suiryu wasn't singing in the first three of them. Junpei took the reigns on that and Eso even got a song in. He would be the last to sing, and then, reveal his face to the world. For the time being, when they did do a shooting, his face was hidden behind a white robed hoodie. At the same time, they began planning this grand performance.

He ran by the ideas with the brothers, when he sang some of the original songs, they were stunned when it ended. "Dude… where did you get inspired to write that?!" Junpei demanded.

He merely smirked and held up a journal. "This," he simply said. "Is going to be our inspiration, as well… a source of healing. To be honest, it's Yuuji's journal, he wrote down various experiences in it and they are quite powerful and profound…"

"Did… you ask to use his journal?" Junpei questioned.

"No," he said bluntly.

"Brother Suiryu… that doesn't seem right to me…" Eso said offhandedly. "We respect each other's privacy…"

"Hear me out. Ever since Yuuji began going through his elemental phase, he has become depressed. Honestly, I think the world needs to know what he went through, what he sacrificed and what would have become of him… He held these all in, and I know that too since I was in his mind as well… these are the emotions he never shared with his friends. So, we're going to express them for him."

Junpei sighed aloud to it all. "I do admit, he needs to be picked up a little. Poor Itadori hasn't had a chance to properly grieve what he's been through has he?"

"Considering the moment his grandfather died, he ate the part of Sukuna and was taken away from his normal life all within a 24 hour period… is merely the tip of the iceberg." Suiryu explained.

"Damn…" Junpei whispered.

Eso sighed and nodded in agreement. "Okay then, perhaps this will help him heal."

"Good, now, let's work on this one here…"

#

Back at the school…

"So, this is where you are living now brother?"

Itadori paused as he peered up. Choso lingered at the entrance with bags under his arm. "Choso?" he muttered in confusion. "Why… why are you here?"

It's been a full month since the incident, Yuuji still hasn't been able to adapt to his earth element just yet, even stranger still that he hasn't eaten anything in that time frame but is still content. "Suiryu requested I come. The brothers and I are going to take turns looking after you, I understand your friends have done well but they are also trying to get rid of some curses, and Suiryu doesn't want you to be alone. I happen to agree with him…"

Speaking of Suiryu, he hardly sees him now a days. Yuuji knows he is busy, but still. He was one of the few that he could really open up to and vent. Now, he merely lies around and waits for it to all be over.

"You are welcome to stay… but I am not the least bit of fun… I can't do anything…" Yuuji muttered bitterly.

Choso merely smiled. "It's okay, I actually like the quiet." He began to set himself up. Putting his bags down he began taking out art supplies. Paints, brushes, and canvases. Setting up his provisions, he took a seat and looked around before he started painting.

Yuuji didn't try to appear interested at first, but the more he watch on the more details be began to see on the canvas he was working on. He did attempt to distract himself, Suiryu got him a portable gaming system, but the tablet was more appealing this time around.

He went through various sites until one caught his eye. 'The newest upcoming sensation in Japan, the band known as…'

"Brother, do you mind if I paint you?"

Yuuji tore away from the screen as Choso stared at him oddly. He shrugged his shoulders to it all. "Go ahead," and went back to the screen. There was a link to a video, he clicked on it and listened. The sound was familiar to him, almost like Disturbed in a sense, but a deeper tone.

Then his blood ran cold. "Ryomen Sukuna…" he whispered. "Wait… Choso… did Suiryu start a band!?" he asked with amazement.

He smiled and nodded. "Him, Tanso, Eso and Junpei are in a band, yes. It's part of an interesting idea Suiryu wanted to try. Since curses feed off of fear, he is aware that the jujutsu sorcerers all fear the name of Sukuna. However, he believes he if flipped the perspective, becoming a band with such a name, it turns the idea of it being feared to bring about excitement and joy. So, he started the band and they are going to do a massive performance in a week or so."

"Wait, he's doing a concert already!?"

Choso smiled. "Part of the reason why you and I haven't seen them as of late. He is rather determined to get it going and wants the world to see him sing… he's rather good, so are Junpei and Eso…"

He found the other videos, one of Junpei singing and yet using his extra mouths at the side of his torso to sing as well! It was creepy and yet at the same time amazing.

Eso has a haunting voice but can turn it gruff when needed, he did rather well himself as he was nearly wearing the same thing when Yuuji first encountered him. Yet he was dress more modestly considering the before outfit. His legs were covered… mostly but his stripper look didn't vanish, he also wore a vest that covered his back, he was always so self-conscious about it.

Junpei proudly displayed his buffed out curse form, he even brushed back his bangs and showed the discolored side of his face and weeping black mark.

Suiryu kept to the Sukuna look, still creepy when he sees him sing looking like that, but it has drawn people in and gotten their attention.

"So… when is their concert?"

"A week or so, Suiryu promised he would have everything hooked up for you to watch it. According to him it isn't going to be like a normal one. Something about a rock opera…"

"Wait, a rock opera? So he's telling a story?"

"According to him he's calling it the Ballad of Ryomen Sukuna and Kiju Itami."

He froze.

"Wait, the ballad of Ryomen Sukuna and Kiju Itami?" he muttered. "Does he mean me!?"

"I cannot imagine who else would have been linked to Sukuna other than you."

Yuuji began to feel sick. He was going to do a rock opera about Sukuna and him? Why would he do that? What's the point? The elders don't want the world to know the truth about what has happened let alone that curses exist in the world.

What is he thinking?!

He felt more embarrassed than anything. "Great, everyone is going to know… well… at least it will be a good show, they are just using cover songs right?"

Choso paused. "Honestly, I am uncertain. You see, I haven't heard them practice, they leave to do such a thing, but Junpei, Eso and Tanso appeared rather excited to get to work on this. I will bring them closer together as siblings." He said as he continued on with his painting. "I think it will be a great show…"

Yuuji smirked for a moment, but at the same time, he misses Suiryu and wants to see him more often.

#

Two weeks would pass.

Yuuji found his little domain alter quite a bit in that time. One. Gojo sensei had come in and began to carry in equipment and placing them about. There were speakers, sound systems and then a massive screen.

Second, he found his friends were staying with him more often. Fushiguro actually moved in three weeks before and set up a small sleeping area for himself. Nobara took a corner of the room herself a week later and made her own little room. He didn't know why they were doing this, but the company was nice.

Lastly, when everything was moved in, Gojo sensei hooked it all up and set up a live feed. Tonight will be the performance of the ballad of Ryomen Sukuna of Kiju Itami. But they weren't the only ones here for the show.

Mika, Panda and Inumaki came in with snacks, pillows and blankets. Todo from Kyoto came after he was invited by Gojo. Then the brothers arrived shortly after!

"So… you're all here to watch this with me?" Yuuji asked in a bewildered tone.

"Of course, this is our brothers' big performance. We have to watch it as a family!" stated Sho.

Everything was set up, thick blankets were put down, and pillows became chairs. Everyone grabbed snacks and drinks as the preshow began.

It was mainly interviews of the starts of the opera, Suiryu starting the whole thing off. "The ballad… well… I have always been interested in history and mythology, this Sukuna guy was as bad as they came. But I began to wonder… what would happen if he were brought to the modern world… then taking into consideration HOW to bring him in. Well, there came many ideas and this one just stuck out the most since it was rather gruesome if you consider it…"

"So how is he brought back?" the interviewer asked.

Suiryu merely smirked. "You'll see soon enough. As well, it's my way of dealing with past tragic events. We touch base on a few, but this is my way of grieving them."

He played the whole thing off as if it were his 'artistic inspiration'. Junpei was interviewed next.

"We never got to know your name…"

He smirked a little. "Kechizu." He said without hesitation.

Yuuji turned and saw the brothers had a tear in their eye. "He took his name for this… he acknowledged Kechizu!" wept Sanso.

"Kechizu?" Todo whispered into Yuuji's ear.

"He was their little brother, the original curse womb, but didn't survive. From what I understand, whatever life was left in that brother to be reborn went into my friend, Junpei. But Kechizu was their real little brother before him." He whispered back.

They regained their composure as the interview went on. "So Kechizu, how did you come about this band? How did you guys form?"

He laughed a little. "It was all a happy accident in a sense, but we go back a ways…"

"So, your led singer… his name is Suiryu, correct? He's a model, one of the top ones in Japan right now isn't he?"

He nodded. "We knew each other before he became a model, we use to play all the time with my brothers until we just grew older. But now he wanted to go back to his creative roots, when we heard the songs he wrote for this… it was too good to pass up."

"By the way, I have to ask you about your look, when you sing shirtless and those mouths…"

"Great prosthetics right? It saves us on back up vocals. I record the parts ahead of time and program them into the speakers here…" he said and fearlessly lifted his shirt. The mouths were closed, yet he took out his phone and made it appear he was manipulating them with the press of a button. "See, there's a different setting for different songs, I got them all in here."

"Nice cover…" Fushiguro muttered.

Eso was interviewed next along with Tanso who just sat quietly but smiled. Eso was just a happy go lucky guy who explained. "My brothers and I like to play. I am more of a cook myself, but this is a nice side hobby to have. We cannot wait for this, and tonight… I am certain we will make a lot of people happy with how it turned out. Everyone worked really hard on the lyrics, and my brothers and I worked hard on the music. It's our first time working with an orchestra too."

"Ooo, he went all out didn't he?" whispered Nobara.

She munched away on popcorn until she offered the bowl to Yuuji. He politely refused. "Kitsune said I should avoid anything with salt for a while… I'm going to heed her advice, thanks though."

He was still able to have a few sips of pop here and there.

Then the TV altered. The screen darkened as the cameras came on to the massive stage that was set up. There had to be a few thousand people there live, all screaming, shouting "RYOMEN SUKUNA, RYOMEN SUKUNA!" in unison.

"The elders are going to be SO PISSED OFF when they see this…" Gojo sensei announced, but he was smiling from ear to ear on the notion. "I can't wait!" he took a seat behind Yuuji, then, the stage became lit. He stood there, in a rather elegant pose. His feet together, his arms outstretched as he stared into the audience. Suiryu.

"Greetings one and all to this monumental occasion. I wish to start off by saying one thing… this performance will… NEVER be done again after tonight!" he shouted.

People were confused. Yuuji was even stunned. "He's only doing this once?"

"Interesting…" Gojo muttered.

"But for now… I wish for you all to prepare yourselves, there is no going back after this, for we will unleash Ryomen Sukuna… and the anguish and suffering of Kiju Itami!"

The lights flashed for but a moment and he vanished in an instant.

The crowd couldn't wait.